Hot on the heels of our recent "Pumpkin Spiced Steel Cut Oats" success, I've been thinking of other ways to get pumpkin's goodness on our table without having to resort to making pumkin pie or pumpkin bread. Not that I have anything against either one of these lovely confections, but a few in our clan struggle with the thick, custard texture of the pie, and the rest struggle to get even a whiff of pumpkin bread when we make it.
Why?
Because Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread is one of Muppet's all-time favorite foods, and unless you're standing with her at the stove when the bread emerges, you haven't got a chance. The poor starved thing will either eat it all in one sitting, or more likely squirrel it away like a little rodent hiding nuts for another day. I've tried to nanny-cam her to see where she hides them, but so far no joy.
If I may be so bold….this is one of the best ice creams I've ever had, anywhere. Lighter in texture than the last we made in these parts, but packed with great pumpkin flavor and enough warm spice to make you think your nipping into the best piece of pumpkin pie you've ever had. This treat is awesome straight-up, but I woudn't call the authorities on you if you decided to drizzle it with a caramel sauce, or sprinkle a few chopped pecans on top. Hey it's the holiday season….live a little!
Cheers – Steve
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granultated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 12 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
Instructions
- In a small pan, cook the pumpkin purée over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the spices and cook for another minute or two, remove from the heat and reserve.
- Combine the milk, cream, vanilla, and salt together in another pot and warm until it comes to a gentle boil. In the meantime, combine the egg yolks and sugars together in a large heatproof bowl and whisk until well incorporated.
- When the cream mixture comes to a boil, pull from the heat and slowly drizzle some over the yolks and sugar while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Slowly add the rest of the cream to the eggs, whisking all the while.
- Return the cream/yolk mixture to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pull the custard from the heat and add the pumpkin purée.
- Cool the custard and refrigerate overnight, then strain through a fine mesh seive and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.